Headteacher of failing Cwmbran school retires (From South Wales Argus)

Headteacher of failing Llantarnam school retires

10:42am Thursday 28th February 2013 in News By Natalie Crockett - Crime reporter

Headteacher David Bright

THE head teacher of a failing Cwmbran school has retired just three months after a damning Estyn inspection.

Torfaen council confirmed that David Bright's retired on February 15, nine years after he took up the post in September 2003.

The school and Mr Bright came under much criticism from inspectors Estyn, who placed it in special measures in November after its current performance and prospects for improving were judged unsatisfactory.

It said senior management was failing and governors wasted no time in appointing executive head teacher Geoff Conway to oversee improvement for 12 months.

Many parents called for Mr Bright's resignation after the report highlighted increasing levels of bullying, poor pupil behaviour, and said some teachers could not control troublesome students.

It said only a minority of lessons were planned well and the majority did not challenge students enough to develop thinking skills.

It found the performance of pupils sitting GCSE and equivalent qualifications was significantly lower than similar schools and a number of pupils failed to make sufficient progress in literacy and learning skills.

Around eight per cent of pupils who left the 1,310 pupil school are not in education, work of training, was higher than both the Welsh and local authority average and a number.

At the time Mr Bright said he was "bitterly disappointed" with Estyn's findings and whilst he accepted the recommendations, said he thought some aspects of the report were unfair.

Immediate improvements were put in place to improve pupil safety and behaviour including new perimeter fences to make it easier for staff to monitor students and additional governors were put in place to provide further support.

When Mr Conway came on board last November he vowed to make Llantarnam a school parents could be proud of.

The vice-principle of Croydon's Quest Academy, which made national headlines in 2011 when it banned pupils from hugging, giving high-fives and wearing coats inside, is tasked with driving performance improvement at Llantarnam at a cost to the tax payer on a annual salary of at least £82,000.